Clans of Sun and Moon Book 1: A River Running Thin (OLD)
by ReeBee33
Summary: Twelve Gatherings have been left unattended by SunClan and MoonClan as war rages between the two. Traditional Clan life is shattered, and StarClan know they must stop this before they are all destroyed. Amongst all of this lies Minnow, a quiet kittypet with no interest in the wild or Clan life. But as her adventure progresses, things might not be what they seem in the two Clans...
1. Allegiances

**ALLEGIANCES**

SUNCLAN

Leader:

 **Nettlestar -** Jet black tom with bright green eyes and a prickly attitude.

Deputy:

 **Hawkfeather -** Brown, muscular tom with huge front paws.

 **Apprentice, Petalpaw**

Medicine Cat:

 **Ripplewhisker -** Wiry white she-cat with black facial markings.

Warriors:

 **Gingerfoot -** White tom with bright ginger feet and tail.

 **Apprentice, Finchpaw**

 **Rockfang -** Thick-furred stone-grey tom with dazzling blue eyes.

 **Cherrynose -** Calico she-cat with a pink nose and green eyes.

 **Apprentice, Redpaw**

 **Kestrelfeather -** Regal, dark tortoiseshell tom with yellow-green eyes.

 **Duckflight -** Thin brown tom with white dotted paws.

Apprentices:

 **Redpaw -** Bright ginger tabby tom.

 **Finchpaw -** Brown tom with white facial markings.

 **Petalpaw -** Fragile white she-cat with green eyes.

Queens:

 **Wasptooth -** Ginger she-cat with striking green eyes.

Kits: Honeykit, Adderkit

Elders:

 **Molenose -** Black tom with a snub-nose.

 **Doveflight -** Formerly beautiful white queen.

MOONCLAN

Leader:

 **Emberstar -** Ginger tabby tom with dark stripes.

Deputy:

 **Smokefoot -** Dark gray tom with lighter gray paws.

 **Apprentice, Violetpaw**

Medicine Cat:

 **Thistletail -** Prickly black she-cat with blue eyes.

Warriors:

 **Featherstep -** Bright ginger tabby tom with amber eyes.

 **Apprentice, Hazelpaw**

 **Talonclaw -** Hard-muscled hazel tom with blue eyes.

 **Brindlepelt -** Brown she-cat.

 **Patchfoot -** Pale calico she-cat.

 **Apprentice, Ravenpaw**

 **Lightheart -** Sandy-coloured tabby she-cat with green eyes.

Apprentices:

 **Ravenpaw -** Black and white tabby tom with beautiful amber eyes.

 **Violetpaw -** Jet black she-cat with amber eyes.

 **Hazelpaw -** Cream tom with green eyes.

Queens:

 **Flowerleaf -** Black she-cat with blue eyes.

Kits - Poppykit, Rootkit

Elders:

 **Breezestorm -** Black tom with amber eyes.

 **Icethroat -** Blind gray tom with a white patch of fur on his throat.

CATS OUTSIDE CLANS

 **Monty -** Ginger tabby with green eyes.

 **Minnow -** Young silver she-cat with blue eyes.


	2. Prologue

A silent clearing standing in the middle of a torn forest marked the twelfth Gathering left unattended. A river ran on either side of the clearing, creating an island connected to the mainland by an empty, cobweb-lined warren. Two tall rocks with smooth, flat tips stretched high into the sky, moonlight casting shadows onto the ground below. At the foot of the rocks, another, smaller rock had several marks scratched into it. The clearing was so abandoned, that a mouse scurried across. Nature began to reclaim this sacred land.

It had been this way since the leaders of the two Clans had spilled blood in an all-out war. Their blood had been boiling for moons, through bloodlines and deaths, and that night was the final straw.

StarClan looked on sullenly at the empty Gathering, and knew the Clans would be doomed without their code. Their control was slipping. Even StarClan were torn by this rejection.

"We must punish the Clans!" One star-clad cat yowled.

"No, we must bring them together!" Another yowled back.

A third cat cut in. "Peace," she insisted, "even we are being destroyed by their war. We must stop their mindless violence and reunite them in order to preserve not only ourselves, but the Clans we overlook."

The two cats looked at one another before dipping their heads in respect. "What can be done to save the Clans?"

"We must bring in a neutrality, one who knows nothing, and we must encourage them to not be swayed into the war. We need an outsider," the she-cat declared.

* * *

Minnow padded happily over the rough, dry pathway as she wandered through Twolegplace, uncaring of the monsters roaring nearby on the Thunderpath - she had been born and raised near them, and although she was still very young, she saw no reason to fear them as long as she stayed out of the way - and came to a halt near a tall wooden post which stretched up into the sky. Two birds perched on the thin shiny strings which stretched across the sky, far out towards another wooden post, and then another, and another... Minnow didn't care about the birds, she had plenty of food at home, and didn't care to get her paws wet or dirty with blood. She began to groom herself, smoothing her silver fur and purring in contentment. There was no place she'd rather be.

The sky was bright and the bright Sun shone down on the she-cat, and even though the hard, sticky path beneath her smelled rotten, she purred in contentment. She rose to her paws and padded back to her Twolegs, the tag on her collar jingling lightly. The purple fabric was heavy on her fur, but she didn't care. Minnow had everything a cat could ask for, and had to do no work for it. Breezes carressed her soft, plump form as she padded leisurely back home. Even though it wasn't even sunhigh yet, she found herself fatigued, and she decided to return for a nap.

She bounced up to the fence and entered the hot, bright nest she lived in. The floor was hard beneath her pads, but none of that mattered as she settled into her bed, curling up in the soft fabric. As she drifted off, she thought to herself...

 _I love being me._


	3. Chapter 1

It was dark and uncomfortable, not at all what Minnow was used to. The scents of plants, prey and dew attacked her nose, and her ears swivelled to locate another cat to take comfort in. Nothing. Minnow was alone in this dark and unfamiliar place, and she didn't even know which way would lead home.

Fear-scent flowed from her like a river, and she circled, trying to find a way out. Where were her Twolegs? Where was her soft bed and bright nest and dry but filling food? Breaking into a yowl of fear, Minnow began bounding over tree trunks and ducking under ferns as her inexperienced nose tried to scent her home. She had barely left her original spot before she couldn't move any more, collapsing in fatigue. Disoriented and confused, she looked around wildly, eyes wide.

A twig snapped. She yelped in fear, backing away from the noise, before escalating into a full scream as she saw a cat cloaked in stars approach.

"Kittypet, do not be afraid," they meowed, a kindly, gentle smile on their dappled muzzle. "I am afraid we need your assistance."

Minnow spluttered in reply, ears flat and fur fluffed up. "Well... find some other cat to help!"

Taken aback, the star-cat tilted their head to the side. "Kittypet, there are two Clans, deep in the forest. SunClan and MoonClan, who are waging war on one another. If this strife is not soon resolved, both Clans could be destroyed. I need you to find these Clans and help them."

"No!" Minnow yelled, stomping and snapping a twig. "I don't want to be your saviour! Go find a bigger, stronger, more... unruly cat!"

"Kittypet-"

"My name isn't 'kittypet'! I'm Minnow! Please, just let me go home," she pleaded. "I don't want to be special, I'm fine just being me." She turned, her tail twitching as she padded off to the distance.

Suddenly, the trees parted as a wild, raging wind shook them apart, revealing a gigantic, full moon shining low in the sky. Instantly Minnow was enraptured as her pelt practically glowed in the moonlight. She turned, and was nearly blinded as the sun, just as large, stood behind in the horizon. They were battling for dominance of the sky. The star-cat now stood distantly, eyes glowing.

"Minnow, you must follow your destined path." They meowed. "The Sun and the Moon shine beside the Willow Tree. If they are left to battle, the Willow Tree will be destroyed."

The silver she-cat groaned. "I don't care about a tree! Leave me alone," she hissed, "and find someone better fit for this job!"

The world around her faded away as she broke into a sprint, fleeing from this strange forest with strange scents and strange cats. Never in a million moons would she catch herself in such a filthy, backwards forest as this. But even as everything faded to black, the star-cat's words echoed in her head.

If the Sun and Moon are left to battle, the Willow Tree will be destroyed.

* * *

Minnow opened her blue eyes to warmly meet the familiar sight of her nest. She drank in the sterile scent and rose to her paws, padding over to her blue ceramic water bowl and lapping up the tasteless liquid. Despite being humid, she genuinely enjoyed her life here. No matter what that strange star-cat told her, she would never give it up for anything.

Outside her window, she saw a huge monster, unlike any she had ever seen before. Several Twolegs swarmed around it like bees, some with similar pelt colours to a bee. They lifted and moved brown boxes out of the belly of the monster and into the nest beside hers. Minnow had never seen any of these Twolegs before, and went to investigate. Balancing along the fence, she watched from a distance, her blue eyes tracking them intently. Her nose was suddenly attacked by the repulsive aroma of a big, lumbering dog, which followed them out into the nest.

Minnow's opinions on the dogs suddenly turned as she leapt from the fence and, at a brisk pace, walked away down over the rough path beneath her, sniffing occasionally at a patch of grass sprouting from between the cracks. A familiar scent danced on her path, and she swerved to meet the one it came from.

"Monty," she meowed, padding up to the ginger tabby. "How are you?"

The old cat gave an affectionate blink of his green eyes and smiled. "I'm feelin' okay. How 'bout you?"

"I'm not... sure. Last night I had a very strange dream, and then a dog showed up-"

"A dog?" Monty meowed in surprise, cutting the silver cat off. "Are you gunna be all right, Minnow?"

Minnow huffed. "Of course, Monty! But my dream, I need to tell you about it! I was in the forest, and there was a strange cat there."

The ginger tabby's ears flicked and his green eyes widened. "Whoa, hey now! Don't be goin' into them forests, yeah? They're dangerous, 'specially up towards the north!" He began smoothing his ragged fur with his tongue.

"I'd never go in there!" The silver cat burst out. "It's so filthy and there's no warm beds to sleep in, and you have to work for your food! Now let me finish!" She recomposed herself and continued her story. "The strange cat was covered in stars and they told me that they needed my help. SunClan and MoonClan, whatever that means..."

Monty suddenly became very serious. "You must never go into that forest. Leave 'em be!"

"Gosh, I know that! I'd rather die than go out there. But the star-cat told me that if the Sun and Moon are left to battle, then the Willow Tree would be destroyed. Why would they care so much about a stupid tree?"

The other cat settled down, laying on the grass beneath them. "It's just a dream, Minnow. Don't think too much 'bout it. But watch out for that dog. Mangy flea-bitten little-"

"Monty, calm down. We've got a fence between us, what can it even do?"

* * *

The two talked until the sun hung low in the sky, which was now a vibrant, beautiful mix of purples, blues, reds and oranges. Minnow said goodbye to her old friend, and ran back home. She smiled up as the tall spires of dull, silver-coloured material lit up one after the other. This was her favourite part of the day. Monsters ran by at a leisurely pace, infrequent now. Their yellowish eyes lit up brightly as they ran by.

Minnow leapt up onto the red brick fence and padded along it, continuing along towards her nest. The window was open, but she ignored it, going behind her Twoleg nest to make dirt. She pushed among the chamomile and pansies, enjoying the sweet scents. After making her dirt, she decided to leap up on the fence to enjoy the night breeze. It was peaceful, and she listened intently to the leaves rustling on the trees. It was sweet and serene, but she was so enraptured by the trees that she became deaf to the sound of breathing on the other side of the fence.

It was only when a pair of large, clawed paws hit the fence that she realised the dog was outside. With a yowl of fear, she leapt off the fence onto the other side, triggering the dog to bark and snarl at her, thick slobber dripping from it's large, toothy maw. In blind fear, Minnow turned and ran as fast as she could.

The old wooden fence behind her had become rotten over the years, and just the sheer force of the dog's weight brought a board of it crashing down. The beast squeezed through the gap and gave chase.

The two began to run, Minnow quickly becoming fatigued but continuing anyway, running for her life as the barking echoed behind her. Ferns and trees began to cloud her vision as she sprinted, yowling in fear. Her soft pads ached as she ran over twigs and leaves. Minnow ran for seemingly forever before the ground suddenly dropped beneath her and she tumbled down into a warren. Earth scuffed her fur and the dog began digging it's jaws into the hole, flecking drool towards Minnow, who curled away from the beast as it began digging to get to her. Minnow turned and ran deeper into the warren, before she spotted light. With a little effort, she popped out on the other side and gasped as she saw the sight before her.

There were trees stretching high into the sky, but one was split down the middle, revealing the full moon. There was a single slab of grey stone with blue flowers surrounding it. Moonlight shone onto the stone, lighting it up beautifully. Minnow padded over and stood in the light. Her sore pads were soothed by the cool slab, and her eyes reflected the moon. She wasn't worried about the dog anymore. Instead, she looked around and felt her stomach growl.

She didn't know how to get home from here. It was cold, and she was hungry. Now she was stranded in the wild, in the cold, with no food. Minnow's ears flattened in fear.

"Oh no..."


	4. Chapter 2

Minnow awoke the next morning wet and miserable. Overnight, it had begun raining and with no shelter, her pelt had become soaked. She whined as she shook herself off and tried to dry her silver fur with her tongue. After having to sleep in this strange place, there was nothing more she wanted to do but run back home and curl up in her warm bed, in her warm nest.

Last night, she had another dream about the wild, but she couldn't remember much of it. Only that there were dozens and dozens of the star-cats she had seen before. This was seemingly a power centre for them, and that meant Minnow had to get away from this place as fast as she could. The she-cat rose to her paws and padded away, her soaked pelt aching her cold bones. Her stomach gave another growl of protest and she knew she also had to find food somewhere.

She put one paw in the warren, and cringed as she felt the mud sink between her toes. As she entered, she slipped and fell, falling face-first into the mud at the bottom of the warren. Minnow groaned, stood up and bitterly left the muddy, wet warren.

As she poked her head out, something ahead ran away, scaring her enough to duck back into the hole. Minnow pounced out onto the wet floor, hearing and feeling the leaves squelch beneath her muddy paws, and padded off to go find food. She was already filthy, she might as well get blood on her paws too…

Now filthy, humiliated and soaking wet, Minnow padded through the forest, looking around in hope of finding something to eat, or her home. Deep down, she knew she wouldn't be able to eat today. Even if she did find prey, there was a high chance she'd lose it. She was still fat, still slow, and never hunted a day in her life. However, she did know Monty. He told her stories from when he went missing for a while and had to hunt for himself. From how he had described it, she never wanted to hunt in her life, but now she had no choice.

"Keep yer rump low," his voice began in her head, "and keep in mind what yer prey is, like how good they can hear ya comin', then once yer close enough, leap at 'em with all ya got, claws out an' everythin'. If yer lucky, ya caught it."

Minnow sniffed around, her nose filled with only the scent of wet, squelching forest. It drowned out anything else, and high above the treetops was a thick blanket of grey with thin rain descending. She decided to use her other senses so she pricked her ears and focused, looking around.

There was a quiet rustle ahead and Minnow lowered herself into a crouch, and spotted a small furry brown mouse crawling amongst the foliage, beginning to nibble on a seed beneath a tree. Minnow put one paw forward, trying to step delicately, but a moist leaf squelched underpaw, setting the mouse off. She tried to take chase in desperation, but it escaped into the roots of a tree. Minnow dug her paw in to try and get it out, but it was long gone.

Another growl erupted from her stomach, and she sat with her head low and sulked. Minnow was convinced she was going to die of starvation out in the wild if she didn't find her home soon. Her stomach cramped and protested, and she got up, beginning to slowly pad in a random direction, moping as she hoped it would lead somewhere, anywhere other than there.

She walked and walked until her pads were raw and sore, now surrounded by the scents of flowers. The mud-coated she-cat eventually collapsed in exhaustion, closing her eyes and passing out.

* * *

"Minnow, wake up," a strange voice echoed into her ears. "You cannot fall yet, you must save us."

Minnow hissed in response. "I'm going to die and you're concerned only about yourselves?! If you're some crazy dream-cats covered in stars, then help the cat you're relying on to save your… Clans, or whatever!"

The same star-cat who helped her earlier dipped their head. "I'm afraid we… have little power in your world."

"So what, you're ghosts or something?"

"We are in StarClan, where Clan cats go after they have died," they meowed, "I am Ashstar, former leader of MoonClan. You must follow the path the stars lead you along, and you will find your destiny there. That is all we may do to help, I am afraid."

Minnow grumbled. "Couldn't be a little less cryptic, could you?"

Ashstar blinked in amusement. "You should get used to cryptic prophecies."

"What if I don't want to?" The silver cat teased, kneading the grass below her. "So if I'm supposed to be this savior of the Clans, then how come I'm out in the forest starving to death?"

The former leader's ears flicked. "You have gone a single day without being fed by your Twolegs, and already you feel like you are starving."

"I'm not used to not eating at a regular time, okay? Leave me alone," she growled.

"You should get used to it, if you are to save the Clans."

Minnow groaned, hanging her head low. "I think I'd die if I bear one more day of this! Wait… am I going to die?"

"That information is out of our paws. Now wake up, Minnow. The Moon awaits you."

* * *

Minnow awoke to a dark and dreary night in the forest, her pelt and surroundings still somewhat damp. Groaning in discomfort at her aching muscles, she sat up. "Well, that was no help at all," she hissed to herself. Her abdomen cramped, practically screaming for food, but Minnow ignored it, getting to her still sore paws and wandering further into the forest, scenting the air.

There was still a strong scent of plants, but as Minnow focused, she scented something else. Something sweeter, fresher… living. Then, she saw it. A tiny mouse, scurrying among and under the leaves. Minnow stood still, willing her stomach to not growl. Claws unsheathed in anticipation, and slowly, she lowered, careful to not step on any leaves. There was a slight breeze, but it was facing her. Everything was going perfectly.

Minnow pounced, the tips of her claws catching the mouse. It shrieked and ran, but she was determined to make a kill. She sprang forward, paws outstretched, and landed on the mouse. Her claws were locked on it's little body, and she bit into the spine, severing it and killing it instantly. Immediately, she dug her teeth in and began ravenously wolfing it down. Something Minnow found rather strange, however, was the taste. It was _delicious!_ She had never tasted something so flavorful before. Her dry pellets and wet food were incomparable to the tastes of the forest; and there was something about catching it herself that made it even more satisfying.

Minnow supposed StarClan had somehow sent the mouse for her. There was too many coincidences for it to be inconsiderable. First, the dog chases her out to exactly where she had to be, and then when she begins feeling hungry, a mouse shows up, one that she caught at that. She silently thanked them as she tore the last of the meat off it's bones and buried it among the leaves.

Minnow wasn't completely full, but she wasn't _starving_ anymore. Now she wanted to go back to the slab with the ray of moonlight to ask the star-cats more questions. Wanting to get back quickly, she began sprinting through the bracken, focusing her nose and retracing her steps.

That night, Minnow slept soundly.

* * *

"What's that weird smell?!" A young tom hissed, scrunching up his nose.

A ginger tabby appeared in the bushes beside him. He also scented the air, and his amber eyes widened. "Another cat, on our territory? And a _kittypet_ , too!" He motioned with his striped tail for the younger to follow, and the other obeyed.

"Let's go rip that kittypet apart!" The latter meowed enthusiastically, overtaking his mentor and bounding into the bushes, following the scent trail, out into the night.


	5. Curious Cat

I now have a Curious Cat account!

Here, you can ask me questions about me or my stories!  
If you like the story so far, why not ask some questions about it, or consider giving this story a favourite or leaving a review?

My Curious Cat:  
/CoSaM

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the journey so far!

3


	6. UPDATE

Hey all! I'm going to be majorly rewriting this story. Minnow was a rather inconsistent character to begin with, the majority of the cats on the allegiances were background characters, and the whole thing was kind of a mess. It will take a while to completely revamp the story, but don't worry! Plenty of characters, new and old, will get a revamp! I'll also be posting this story on AO3 and having more people proofread my work and edit it. Thank you for your patience, and I'm sorry for abandoning this story yet again! ^^

I'll be keeping the old version up to chart my progress as a writer. Thank you everyone who enjoyed the story for supporting my work, and I hope you all have a fantastic day!

3


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